Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has called on Ghanaians and Africans to renew their commitment to the ideals of self-determination, Pan-Africanism, self-reliance and shared prosperity as the country marks the 117th birthday of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.Speaking at the 2026 NkrumahFest at Nkroful on Saturday, Mr Buah said the annual commemoration should go beyond ceremony to become an opportunity for Ghanaians to examine whether the country and the continent are living up to Nkrumah’s vision.This year’s NkrumahFest is being held under the theme “Nkrumah @117: Celebrating His Enduring Legacy – Africa Must Unite or Perish.” The week-long celebration in Nkroful is centred on the life, ideas and Pan-African vision of Ghana’s first President. Mr Buah said the celebration had four central purposes: to remember Nkrumah’s life and contribution with pride, reflect on whether Ghana and Africa are becoming what he envisioned, recommit to self-determination and Pan-Africanism, and inspire a new generation to carry his ideals forward.He said Nkrumah’s legacy should not be confined to monuments, photographs or historical accounts, but measured by the institutions and infrastructure that continue to serve Ghanaians decades after his death.He cited the Akosombo Dam, Tema Harbour, Adomi Bridge, University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Bank of Ghana and State Housing Corporation as examples of institutions and projects associated with the developmental vision of the early post-independence era.According to him, the significance of Nkrumah’s approach was that major development projects were conceived with future generations in mind rather than short-term political considerations.“Kwame Nkrumah’s developmental projects and vision were never conceived for the next election. They were conceived for the next generation and for the next,” he said.He further focused on Nkrumah’s Pan-African vision and the continuing relevance of the theme “Africa must unite or perish”, which has been adopted for this year’s festival.He argued that Nkrumah viewed Ghana’s independence as part of a wider struggle for African liberation and believed that political independence would remain incomplete without greater continental unity.Mr Buah urged Ghanaians to consider whether Africa has made sufficient progress towards the political and economic integration envisaged by Nkrumah.He referred to Nkrumah’s well-known position that “we face neither east nor west, we face forward”, as well as his insistence that Ghana’s independence had to be connected to the liberation of the wider African continent.He also cited Nkrumah’s argument that the forces binding Africans together were stronger than the colonial boundaries and external influences that divided them.Using the continuing challenges associated with movement and border arrangements between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire as an example, Mr Buah said Africans still faced practical obstacles to deeper integration decades after independence.He said the lesson was that Pan-Africanism must involve not only political declarations but also practical efforts to make cooperation and movement across African countries easier.Mr Buah challenged young Ghanaians to regard Nkrumah’s legacy as a responsibility rather than simply a chapter in the country’s history.He said the task was to revive the values of innovation, courage, self-reliance and commitment to causes larger than individual interests.He urged citizens to ask whether Ghana and Africa were building societies in which citizens could prosper without being left behind and whether the continent was becoming a producer and builder rather than remaining dependent on others.The Minister also invoked Nkrumah’s belief that self-government, even with its difficulties, was preferable to dependence on external control.As Minister responsible for lands and natural resources, Mr Buah also linked Nkrumah’s legacy to the protection of Ghana’s natural environment.He called on citizens to support the government’s efforts to tackle illegal mining and environmental degradation, arguing that protecting Ghana’s rivers, forests and other natural resources was part of protecting the inheritance of future generations.He said honouring Nkrumah required the current generation to preserve the country’s natural resources with the same determination that characterised the independence struggle.Mr Buah therefore appealed for collective action to ensure that Ghana’s rivers and forests were protected and handed over to future generations in a healthy condition.The Minister also acknowledged President John Dramani Mahama and his government for their support for the Nkrumah commemorative activities and for the decision to institutionalise Nkrumah’s birthday as Founders’ Day.NkrumahFest has grown into an annual celebration at Nkroful, Nkrumah’s birthplace, bringing together residents, government officials, academics, Pan-Africanists and visitors to reflect on his legacy. The 2026 programme includes cultural, educational and community activities, culminating in the main celebrations in Nkroful. Mr Buah said the gathering should ultimately inspire action.He called on Ghanaians to carry Nkrumah’s ideals into their homes, workplaces and classrooms, insisting that the objective should be to transform the principles associated with his legacy into practical national and continental development.He urged the present generation to become custodians of Nkrumah’s vision and ensure that the ideals for which he stood continue to influence Ghana’s and Africa’s future.